Nottingham Forest are preparing a club-record bid, possibly in the region of £60m, to try lure Brazil forward Matheus Cunha, 25, away from Wolves. (Sky Sports, external)
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Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesThere are plenty of outstanding stars for Nottingham Forest this season.
Chris Wood, Murillo, Morgan Gibbs-White, Nikola Milenkovic and Matz Sels have all taken the headlines at times.
That is before you even get to Anthony Elanga, Callum Hudson-Odoi or Elliot Anderson.
But the strength of Forest this season is that the team, and squad, have all contributed - otherwise they would not be third in the Premier League.
Morato has made just two league starts this season - and 13 substitute appearances - but Forest have conceded just twice when he has been on the pitch, with the defender regularly used to see games out.
Midfielder Nicolas Dominguez has impressed but perhaps not been in the spotlight, while Nuno Espirito Santo was also full of praise for Wayne Hennessey, who signed a surprise new contract earlier this month.
The goalkeeper, recovering from an Achilles injury, saw his deal expire at the end of last season but he has penned a short-term contract as emergency cover.
Nuno called him a big part of Forest's goalkeeper community and it epitomises the squad dynamic the manager and club are trying to foster.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on the news that Murillo had signed a new contract with the club until 2029.
Here are some of your comments:
Ken: Murillo is the best signing of the window. The player himself has publicly said he wants to be here for the whole four years, so the only way he will leave is if Forest sell him. He's quite simply the best young centre-back in the world, and he's OURS! The deal pushes his price over £100m.
Mike: If he isn't already, Murillo will become the best player to have played for Forest since the glory days of the European Cup wins. He's that good. He'd start for any team in the world right now.
Brian: Our transfer strategy must be to keep our best players and this is fantastic news! Keep your hands off our Murillo, he'll make you cry into your pillow, keep your hands off our Murillo, our sweet Murillo is here to stay!
Shaun: What a great bit of news. As a result of Murillo signing, either Forest fans will get the pleasure of seeing him wear the Garibaldi Red for some time, or the club are assured of getting a massive payout to and will be able to really strengthen the team.
Steve: Fantastic news. He is incredibly talented and this vote of confidence will convince other players to stay and sign for Forest. It definitely feels like Forest are now back in the Premier League long term.
Luke: Good news for so many reasons. Most of all, I'm pleased it shows we are going about our business the right way while creating an environment top players want to remain in. The sky feels like the limit for us at the moment.
Pete: Another sign of how well run we are these days. By extending his contract, we've added even more value to his eventual selling price. Like all of our team, though, he is well grounded, humble and can rightly work out that, for now, Forest will provide him with the perfect environment on and off the pitch to fully blossom into the next Brazilian superstar.
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesLiverpool's victory over Lille last night was fundamentally good for them in that they are through to the last 16 and have secured a top-two seeding.
However, that is also a positive for English clubs as a whole.
The countries who finish top in the European Performance Spots table will get five teams in next season's Champions League.
England are currently top - clear of Italy, Spain and Portugal - and while Aston Villa's defeat did not help, bonus points are applied for every position in the table, with teams in the Champions League getting the most.
So Liverpool are heading for a chunky 12 or 11.75.
There has been so much talk about how well Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth have done in the Premier League this season. Their chances of Champions League qualification will increase if English clubs keep doing well in Europe.
Nottingham Forest have made Wolves and Brazil forward Matheus Cunha their top January target in the push for Champions League qualification. (Mail, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Murillo is a Nottingham Forest fan favourite and has extended his contract with the club until 2029.
How do you feel about the news? What is the next key move for the club to keep up this fine momentum?
Pat Riddell
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesThere are two types of people in the world: those who love Ryan Yates, and those who don't.
The ones who don't are invariably opposition fans — a quick glance at social media on match days says a lot about the midfielder's ability to rile those on and off the pitch. But it wasn't always so.
A much-maligned player for most of his career, the 26-year-old finally won over most of the fan base this season as Nottingham Forest were transformed from relegation battlers to top four contenders.
Yates' ability to win a foul is a beautiful thing. His bravery to put his body on the line is something to admire. And his all-round involvement in any game is obvious for all to see.
There have been times when Forest lacked leaders, and at the moment we seem to have them in spades, but Yates is the one who truly relishes the role of leading the team out of the tunnel.
Having joined Forest as an eight-year-old, his association with the club goes back nearly 20 years now, and continues the Reds' remarkable record of a youth graduate being in every matchday squad since October 1941.
Yates, of course, is not here for historical purposes. Having played and scored in the top five divisions of English football, he's been selected by every manager since he broke into the first team in 2019. And it's notable this season that his game is still progressing, perhaps influenced by the influx of talented signings in recent years.
With the run in of games now, Yates' presence will no doubt continue to alternate with Nico Dominguez — the return of the injured Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare still to come — but his dedication and passion on the pitch will remain a source of pride for Forest fans; and a thorn in the side of opposition teams.
Find more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external
Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest have made an approach for Brentford forward Yoane Wissa.
The Bees value Wissa at far beyond the £22m reportedly offered by the Reds.
BBC Sport can confirm the approach with Forest targeting competition for in-form striker Chris Wood, who has 14 goals in the Premier League this season, as they look to maintain their surprise Champions League challenge.
Forest are third in the Premier League after Sunday's 3-2 win over Southampton.
Wissa, who has 11 goals in 19 Premier League matches this season, is highly valued in west London and has proven a worthy successor to Ivan Toney.
The Bees will not accept bids in the £22m price range Forest have reportedly offered, despite the 28-year-old having just 18 months to run on his current contract.
Meanwhile, Brentford are interested in Fiorentina defender Michael Kayode. The 20-year-old Italian is being looked at to fill a problem position this season at full-back for Thomas Frank.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Southampton.
Here are some of your comments:
Forest fans:
Sean: Concerning injury to Hudson-Odoi, but otherwise business as usual. Clinical in the first half, let Southampton back into it in the second, but held out defensively once again. Plenty of Forest fans checking their passports, and why not?
Tom: Typical Forest. Get to 3-0 by half-time and then mess about. Nearly paid for not killing it off. Aina made a crucial goalline clearance. Injury time was agony.
John: This should never have been the final score. Forest were so far ahead in performance and score by half-time it was almost embarrassing. Southampton's first was an dodgy own goal and with two awful offside decisions by VAR and Anthony Taylor at both ends - both against Forest - it somehow ended 3-2. A travesty given the difference between the sides, performance and league position.
John: A quality start turned into a scrappy ending, badly refereed. Nuno could see what Southampton's tactics were and subbed some key players to protect them - but the subs looked worryingly naive. Sels, the back four and Anderson kept us in front. Some great stuff in the first half but the midfield and Awoniyi looked off it in the second.
Southampton fans:
Neil: Southampton the usual mixed bag - attacking intent and good possession coupled with mistakes and major defensive frailty. Players like Bednarek seem to always get away with it, while players who have been good seem to always get subbed off. Could it be time to give Bella-Kotchap some minutes on the pitch? Or maybe we need to go back to 4-4-2 so that our midfield is less easy to slice through?
David: Let's fast forward to the last part of the match. This was like the Benjamin Button movie. The players fought tooth and nail and did not give up. An observation: Armstrong, Archer and Downes do not have the Sulemana effect that the manager has created. Silly individual errors are costing us severely.
David: At last some determination shown by Saints after some (again) silly mistakes in the first half. Two goals conceded in the same corner of the goal, and a fumble by Ramsdale - Could have been 3-3 if Bednarek's attempt had not been kicked off the line - Saints lost, but at least there was a great effort put in for all those travelling fans.
Ross: Juric may not have the points to show for it, but the team has looked much better since he came in. We just can't sustain it for 90 minutes, whether that's a poor start or a poor end to the match. Chuffed for big tall Paul breaking his duck.
Image source, Getty ImagesAre Nottingham Forest in the title race now that they are level on points with Arsenal?
"You have to say they are," said former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "You don't get there by luck so what they are doing is fantastic.
"Everyone thought the same thing about Leicester, in the sense that they wouldn't win it and then they made excuses after for not backing them.
"Liverpool are leading the way but Forest are consistent in their performances week in and week out.
"They are getting results over the line, playing to their strengths and showing greater resilience than Arsenal. The difference is that Forest have Chris Wood who is in sensational form and is scoring goals.
"They are in the race."
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Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo to BBC Match of the Day after today's game: "This a very tough league. The second half, we started really well and controlled the game but then there was the deflection and stoppages. The game didn't flow and that did not help us."
On disallowed goal: "They are clear with the rules. They judge it and we have to accept it. The game is never over. Every team competes well. Southampton competed well.
"We have to give credit to our opponent. They are 3-0 at half-time and they have this reaction, we have to credit this."
On Elliot Anderson: "I think Elliot is doing amazing and achieved a beautiful goal."
Matthew Henry
BBC Sport Journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesIn the end, Nottingham Forest's first-half performance was enough to continue their superb form.
A seventh win in eight games keeps them on course for European football next season at the very least.
In many ways the game was typical Forest. They were clinical in taking advantage of mistakes and playing on the counter attack in the first half.
Their scrambling defence in the closing moments was also reminiscent of the draw against Liverpool on Tuesday.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo will have wished for an easier finish. Stress-free finales will help preserve energy in the latter part of the season.
That, though, is a worry for another day. At the moment anything looks possible.
Image source, Getty ImagesNottingham Forest goalscorer Elliot Anderson has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day after today's victory: "We started really bright but made it hard for ourselves in the second half. Ultimately we got the three points and I'm really happy.
"We set out to attack both games with the same mentality. Southampton were really good midweek against Manchester United so we knew it was going to be hard for us. I've been working hard for that and the lads have been telling me to shoot. When I got space I thought I'd just bang it.
"The manager said it's always hard when you've got something to lose. We needed those three points because there are teams creeping up behind us."
Image source, Getty ImagesIn their 22 Premier League games this season, Nottingham Forest have gone 1-0 up in 18 of them. Across the competition's history, only Manchester City in 2011-12 and 2018-19 have ever done so more in their opening 22 matches of a campaign (both 19).
Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?
Have your say on Nottingham Forest's performance
What did you make of Southampton's display?
Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies
There are four Premier League fixtures on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you all the action.
Everton v Tottenham
Man Utd v Brighton - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
Nottingham Forest v Southampton
Ipswich v Manchester City (16:30) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
All kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated
Southampton put up a decent fight against Manchester United but Tyler Dibling went off with an ankle injury in the second half and if he is missing here then that is a massive blow.
Let's face it, it is going to be hard for Saints even if Dibling does play. Forest are playing so well and Chris Wood keeps on scoring, so this should be a routine home win for them.
Sutton's prediction: 2-0
